A Woman's Journey With Rare Disease

Distance, Delays & Denial: The VA Organ Transplant System

I hesitated posting this when it came up in my news (from a few sources), but I couldn’t help it. I was first made aware of the issue from this report regarding distance from VA transplant centers affecting survival rates in liver transplants.

But the problem is deeper than a single organ or a single parameter…

I am so angry & I really feel for these veterans. Transplant is hard enough, without having the VA arbitrarily making it worse.

Yet, I’m not surprised. I have had friends & family in the military past & present. All branches & levels of service, but I shudder to think what would happen if their only option was to the use the VA for transplant.

What is most concerning is the majority of these denials by the VA are not real. It’s true other centers vary in their criteria with transplant as a whole, but there are just too many denials where the candidates are found suitable once they try a private center.

It’s really irritating.

I also was shocked at how few options there are in the VA system in comparison to those of us in civilian life in centers to choose from.

So many would be/could be needless deaths for people who take the VA at their word in first seeking treatment or inquiring about transplant. Then they are denied by them & then there are probably a good percentage that decide they can’t afford physically or financially to get an evaluation or second opinion someplace else.

Yet another example of how broken our healthcare system is…for everyone.